2000
#5,066
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,352
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.35
Rare Last name
Nelsen
A patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin, meaning "son of Nel" or "son of Nels," derived from Cornelius or Niels.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,414 Americans carry the last name Nelsen. That puts it at #5,218 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,231 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nelsen surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
7.4K
1 in 46,231
Census rank
#5,218
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,465 bearers of the surname Nelsen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5218th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nelsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nelsen
The surname Nelsen originated in Scandinavia, specifically in Denmark and Norway, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old Norse personal name "Njall" or "Njal," which means "champion" or "poet." The name was initially a patronymic, meaning it was formed by adding the suffix "-son" to the father's name, creating "Njalsson" or "Nielsson."
Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, such as Nelsen, Nielsen, Nilsen, and Nielssen. These variations emerged due to regional dialects, cultural influences, and phonetic adaptations across different parts of Scandinavia and other areas where Scandinavian settlers migrated.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Icelandic sagas, particularly the Njáls saga, which dates back to the 13th century. The saga revolves around the life and deeds of Njáll Þorgeirsson, a wealthy and influential Icelandic chieftain and legal expert.
In Norway, the name Nelsen has been recorded in historical documents dating back to the 14th century. One notable figure was Niels Nelsen (1555-1623), a Norwegian civil servant and landowner who played a significant role in the administration of Trondheim during the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
In Denmark, the name Nielsen is well-documented, with records dating back to the 15th century. One prominent individual was Peder Nielsen (1510-1562), a Danish Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Roskilde from 1543 until his death.
Another notable figure was Adam Nelsen (1604-1647), a Danish-Norwegian astronomer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of astronomy. He was born in Norway but spent most of his career in Denmark, where he served as a professor at the University of Copenhagen.
In Sweden, the name Nilsson is more prevalent, but the variant Nelsen has also been recorded. One notable Swede with this name was Johan Nelsen (1677-1737), a Swedish naval officer and explorer who led expeditions to the Arctic regions in the early 18th century.
While the surname Nelsen is most commonly associated with Scandinavian origins, it has also been adopted by individuals in other parts of the world, particularly in regions with strong Scandinavian immigration and cultural influence, such as the United States and Canada.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nelsen
Among Census respondents with the surname Nelsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Nelsen bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Nelsen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 5,940
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 243
- Two or more races2.8% · 180
- Black or African American0.7% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 40
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nelsen
Nelsen appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#5,128
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,825
+473 bearers (+7.4%)
Per 100,000 2.31
Rank movement Down 62 places
2020
#5,218
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,465
-360 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 2.16
Rank movement Down 90 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,066 | 6,352 | 2.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,128 | 6,825 | 2.31 | +473 bearers (+7.4%) | Down 62 places |
| 2020 | #5,218 | 6,465 | 2.16 | -360 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 90 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Nelsen surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,128 | #5,218 | -1.8% |
| Count | 6,825 | 6,465 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.31 | 2.16 | -6.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nelsen bearers went from 6,825 to 6,465 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 90 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,128 to #5,218.
FAQ
Nelsen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nelsen?
Name Census estimates that about 7,414 living Americans carry the surname Nelsen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,231 residents.
How common is Nelsen?
Nelsen ranks #5,218 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,465 people with the surname Nelsen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,414), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Nelsen.
Has Nelsen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nelsen went from 6,825 recorded bearers to 6,465. That is a decrease of 360 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,128 to #5,218.
What does the Census say about the background of Nelsen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nelsen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Nelsen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (5,940 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nelsen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Hispanic (3.8%), Two or More Races (2.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Nelsen (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Nelsen mean?
A patronymic surname of Scandinavian origin, meaning "son of Nel" or "son of Nels," derived from Cornelius or Niels. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Nelsen (2.16 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Nelsen?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Nelsen, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.